<p>ok so we have like 2 days left to decide, and I really can't make a definite decision on where i want to go. I was really set on yale, but I really didn't enjoy BDD that much. someone really needs to help me...</p>
<p>thanks.</p>
<p>When you say that you didn't enjoy Bulldog Days in which way are you talking about? If it concerns the classes you sat in on, then you should definitely reconsider between Yale and Dartmouth. This also applied if you disliked the student body and/or your future classmates. The weather was pretty awful so perhaps that played a role in your negative feelings toward Yale? If so, then you should overlook that since the weather is normally nice in April (keep in mind the cold winters). Was Bulldog Days too fast paced for you? Did you prefer more down time and less activities? If so that is just a reflection of the planning of the event. Did you not like how there were too many parties? If so then keep in mind that Yale has a group for almost every different interest. I, too, did not have a good time at Bulldog Days until I meet a group of Yalies and future classmates that were amazing in every respect. I was actually dead set on going to Harvard until I found my group of Yalies that shared my interest. You must realize that you can't be friends with everyone at Yale, it is physically impossible. Did I miss a reason? PM if you have further questions.</p>
<p>yeah -- i sat in on an ital class and no one was interested, 1/2 the class didnt bring their materials, and one person slept the entire 50min class (and the class was of ~ 11 kids). I mean i know not everyone will love every class, but i really was expecting to see people into the classes and excited to be there, and i didnt really feel like there was anything special about the class (maybe my expectations were too high, but I mean i just felt like a yale class should be like WOW).</p>
<p>i also found many of the scheduled events kind of boring</p>
<p>idn i loved yale before that and i love dartmouth, but a lot of people are warning me against giving up the yale name. and i mean its not like i hate yale, i obviously still like the school. this decision sucks...</p>
<p>I had a friend transfer from Yale to Dartmouth, he wanted the community and more LACy feel of Dartmouth. He also was really into the outdoors. There's no question Yale is one of the strongest names in academia. But Dartmouth more than holds its own. </p>
<p>As for BDD, you might just have been in the wrong class. Yalies are serious students, don't let one bad class sway you away.</p>
<p>I love how slipper's advice is not biased even though he's a Dartmouth alum. </p>
<p>I agree though: go where you think you'll be happy. Yale may be Yale but Dartmouth is hardly a bad choice in comparison and you should go where you feel best.</p>
<p>If it's just the class, don't let that sway you. If you felt more comfortable at dartmouth, you should go there. Matriculate to the college where you think you'll be happiest. But i can guarantee you, Yalies are very engaged in their classes!</p>
<p>language classes tend to be kind of dull anyway...entry level textbooks and classes that (inconveniently) meet everyday. alot of kids are just in it for the requirement.</p>
<p>I would totally pick Dartmouth. Yale doesnt give a **** for its undergrad. I would definitely perfer Yale over Dartmouth for grad school though. There is very little concern for undergrads, and it's one of those schools with a lot of people who are just plain cocky about their school. Employers generally stay away from schools like Harvard/Yale b/c all the kids that come out want to flaunt the fact that they went to their respective schools, and dont actually work or interact with others. Then again, this is a generalization, but I think it definitely has truth in it.</p>
<p>Go to Dartmouth, the undergrad focus is AMAZING and it has one of the highest per-student-funding, which I think is only topped by Harvard. And everyone there is soooo nice. Very welcoming, and all of the classes were very engaging. I sat in on 3 classes (psych/african govt/bio) and all three were amazing.</p>
<p>I was lucky enough to be faced with the same choice this year. I chose Yale.
My experience at BDD was admittedly very different from what you make yours sound like. I had a great time. I sat in on three classes, and all were quite good (some better than others, but such is life). I also met a huge number of people, all whom I could relate to, and that’s why I picked Yale.
Here are my thoughts: Strawboy, in my opinion, is misguided on everything besides the fact that Dartmouth undergrad is amazing (and his pick...). I think you will find that both places care very much about their undergrads, and both will bend over backward to help you accomplish whatever you wish to.
For you, in the end, I think your choice should come down to your feel of the school (your social and extracurricular life). You will get a great education at both, but your life will be what you make of it. I think if you’re happier, you will make more of the opportunities, so go where you feel you’d fit in better (some advice, huh?). </p>
<p>Good Luck! Hope to see you next year.</p>
<p>Yeah, Strawboy is woefully misinformed. Yale College (the undergraduate community) is the heart of the University.</p>
<p>Right. So we've established that both schools have really good undergrad programs. And the only other piece of information that the poster wrote was that BDD didnt work for him/her. Shouldn't that be enough of a "feel" factor?</p>
<p>i think an overwhelming majority of cross admits pick yale</p>
<p>BDD doesn't really mean much because it isn't over a weekend. To really get a feel for Yale, you need to visit for at least 3 days, including a weekday and a weekend day. The campus gets buzzing with activity and it is unlike any other campus I've seen. Dartmouth is pretty, too, and also a great school, but in that respect it doesn't hold a candle to Yale. </p>
<p>Also, students at Yale just love it there, from everyone I've ever talked with who has attended. One evidence of that is how it has the lowest transfer acceptance rate in the country every year (very few if any students choose to leave, so they don't need to add anyone). Undergraduate academics are significantly stronger at Yale or Caltech than at Dartmouth, in terms of per-student funding, particularly in the sciences but in the humanities as well, as well as the student to faculty ratio in the most popular majors.</p>
<p>Another factor to consider is that students graduating from Yale, for whatever reason, do significantly better than those graduating from Dartmouth in terms of getting into the top graduate schools or most prestigious jobs.</p>
<p>Here is a list of institutions producing Fulbright Scholars this year, from Chronicle of higher education. Note that the number of applicants is for the most part fairly consistent from each school (although large schools like UC Berkeley have a few more than smaller ones), but the number who win from each school is very different:</p>
<p>1 Yale U. 31
2 Harvard U. 25
3 Brown U. 24
4 Columbia U. 21
4 U . of California at Berkeley 21
4 U. of Michigan at Ann Arbor 21
7 U. of Chicago 18
7 U. of Pennsylvania 18
9 Cornell U. 15
10 Duke U. 14
10 Johns Hopkins U. 14
10 Northwestern U. 14
10 U. of Wisconsin at Madison 14
14 Boston College 13
14 Ohio U. main campus 13
14 Pennsylvania State U. at University Park 13
14 Princeton U. 13
14 U. of California at Los Angeles 13
14 U. of Texas at Austin 13
20 New York U. 12
21 Arizona State U. at Tempe 11
21 George Washington U. 11
23 College of William and Mary 10
23 Stanford U. 10
23 U. of Arizona 10
23 U. of Pittsburgh 10
Dartmouth: Fewer than 10 (wasn't in the top 25)</p>
<p>Go to Arizona or Pittsburg. Those are clearly better than Dartmouth.</p>
<p>Those two schools have many more students than Dartmouth, PutschCasusBelli. On a per capita basis, I'm sure Dartmouth beats them. # of Fulbright Scholars is only one of many measures to consider. Look at the # of Rhodes Scholarship winners, the placement rates into top graduate schools, or rate of winning prestigious NIH fellowships.</p>
<p>hey now. if you're going to slam pittsburgh, at least spell it properly!</p>
<p>You should definitely go for YALE</p>